Lonely Hearts: The Films of Tsai Ming-Liang in DC

A month long retrospective film series “Lonely Hearts: The Films of Tsai Ming-Liang ” featuring renowned filmmaker Tsai Ming-liang will be held at The National Museum of Asian Art (a.k.a the Freer and Sackler Galleries) and the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center (AFI Silver) from March 13 to April 19, 2020. The filmmaker and the star of all of his films, Lee Kang-sheng will also visit DC for a post screenings discussion on the weekend of April 17 and perform an “Improvisations on the Memory of Cinema” after the screening of “Goodbye, Dragon Inn” on April 18. For more information please visit the website at https://asia.si.edu and https://silver.afi.com/.

This film series is made possible by the support of the Ministry of Culture, Republic of China (Taiwan), and Taiwan Academy of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States, with additional support from the Taipei Cultural Center, New York. It offers a rare opportunity for the audience from the greater Washington metropolitan area to appreciate Tsai’s prominent works on the big screen.

A Malaysia-born filmmaker who has represented Taiwan on the world stage with his distinctive film aesthetics, Tsai Ming-liang has become one of Taiwan’s most famous artists of the moving image. Over a nearly thirty-year career that includes not only cinema but also art installations and theatrical performances, and as a master in the realm of slow cinema, Tsai has won numerous accolades, including the Golden Lion and the Fipresci Prize, at international film festivals. His artistic achievements have been recognized by Taiwan's highest cultural honor, the National Cultural Award, in 2017.

Before becoming a professional filmmaker, Tsai worked as a

theatrical producer and television director. It was in 1993 when

Tsai wrote and directed his first feature “Rebels of the Neon God,” a film depicting two restless teens wandering around Taipei and their feelings of alienation. This film swept up accolades at the Tokyo International Film Festival, the Festival of the Three Continents, and the Torino International Film Festival. Encouraged, Tsai began a lifelong collaboration with the film’s male lead actor, Lee Kang-sheng.

In 1994, Tsai’s film “Vive l'Amour ” was awarded the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival, helping to establish a place for him in the world of international film. After the release of several award-winning films – including “Hole,” “What Time Is It There?,” and “Goodbye, Dragon Inn” – Tsai brought films into museums by producing a video installation for the Taipei Fine Arts Museum in 2007. It became the first cinematic work to be collected by a museum in Taiwan.

In 2009, Face became the first film to be included in the collection of the Louvre Museum’s program Le Louvre s'offre aux cinéastes. It has since become the benchmark for films venturing into the realm of art galleries.

In 2013, Tsai released “Stray Dogs,” the eleventh feature in his career starring longtime collaborator Lee. The film exploring loners in society won the Grand Jury Prize at the 70^th Venice International Film Festival and the Golden Horse Award for Best Director.

In recent years, Tsai has focused on installation art, and his works have been well-received in Venice, Italy, Shanghai, and Nagoya, Japan.

Screening information: “Lonely Hearts: The Films of Tsai Ming-Liang”

The National Museum of Asian Art：

Venue: The Meyer Auditorium of the Freer Gallery of Art (Independence Avenue at 12^th St, SW, Washington, DC 20560)

Admission: free

Website: https://asia.si.edu

AFI Silver:

Venue: AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center (8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910)

Website: https://silver.afi.com

Enclosure: poster of “Lonely Hearts: The Films of Tsai Ming-Liang” of The National Museum of Asian Art